Restaurants eye 20% business boost as 1,000 win in dog-friendly licence ballot

Pet-friendly caterers in Hong Kong say a new licence allowing dogs in restaurants from July could lift business by up to 20 per cent, after 1,000 operators secured places in the scheme’s first ballot. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department on Friday held a ballot to select 1,000 restaurants, after receiving 1,615 eligible applications since submissions opened last month. Lawmaker Chan Hoi-yan, who chairs the panel on food safety and environmental hygiene, officiated the draw in front of dozens of members of the public, including eager applicants hoping to find out whether they had made the cut. Aki Chan, co-owner of Uluru Cafe in Wan Chai and one of the successful applicants, said he expected business to increase by 15 to 20 per cent once the scheme was launched. “Business will improve especially on Saturdays and Sundays, because dog owners often do not leave Hong Kong and tend to patronise local businesses,” he said. Chan said the competition was stiffer than expected and that they would have been disappointed had they lost the ballot. His cafe was penalised last year for allowing pets and risked a seven-day suspension if it reoffended, forcing it to turn away diners with pets. “With the new licence, we are hoping business will recover to previous levels,” he said. He added that the restaurant had arranged to separate pets and their owners from diners who were afraid of dogs and would allocate seating in advance to accommodate dog owners without disturbing other customers. Employees who disliked dogs would be reassigned, while those comfortable with them would be trained to handle situations such as noisy pets, he said. Pier 1929 at Wan Chai Pier, a restaurant overlooking Victoria Harbour, was another successful applicant. The restaurant was located on the promenade and had a nearby dog park, said representative Queenie Wong, adding that she believed the new licence would attract pet owners. “But we still need to work out details such as zoning and how to ensure compliance with the requirements,” she said. Others were less fortunate. Billy Fong, who runs Three by One Coffee Roastery in Hung Hom, failed to secure a licence despite applying on the first day. Fong said he had expected more than 3,000 applicants and would try again in the next round, scheduled to open in six months. “Because my shop has an outdoor area, many dog owners want to bring their pets inside, especially during the hot summer months,” he said. He also called on authorities to consider allocating a fixed number of licences by eatery type and district to ensure a fairer distribution. Looking ahead, Fong said he would learn from the first batch of operators to improve his cafe and observe how the scheme’s initial teething issues were resolved over the first six months. Lawmaker Chan said that while some caterers left Friday’s ballot disappointed, more places would be available in the coming months. Applicants who failed to complete the paperwork on time would forfeit their place, which would be offered to those on the waiting list, she added. Successful applicants must bring their approval letter and original restaurant licence to one of the offices listed in the letter by June 24 and pay HK$140 (US$18).